Searching Leads to Finding
by setterslsett
Summary: Regulus goes to the cave to take the Horcrux so it can be destroyed, but is almost destroyed because of it. Luckily for him, there's someone who will always come to his aid. Soulmate AU.


Written for The Hunger Games: Fanfic Style III - prompts: dragon, soulmate AU, "What do you think you're doing?"

Written for the Build A Zoo Challenge - prompt: Lemurs - Tom Riddle's Cave

Written for The 'Convince Me' Challenge!: Barty/Regulus

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Rated T for: torture by potion, reliving abuse. (message me if I have missed anything)

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Regulus conjured a wooden bowl and filled it with emerald green liquid—hopefully drinking this would not take him to Oz. Or maybe it should, then he would have a chance to meet his soulmate there. Not that he actually believed that. He had never believed he would ever meet his soulmate. How was he even supposed to find the person if some idiot had thought of the ability to take someone else's pain as the way of finding your soulmate. Especially now, drinking a potion that would most certainly lead to his death and if not than Voldemort would kill him. It just seemed impossible and it hurt to think about.

It was exactly that what the first sip brought: pain. And now he wished there was someone to take away the agony he felt. Every sip of the potion churned his insides. The liquid like a dragon roaring around in his stomach; burning everything on its path. Regulus screwed his eyes close until tears formed and all he could see was a thick blackness.

Another sip of the potion. It still hurt, it still burned. And even though he kept his eyes shut, he saw a figure coming closer to him. Mom? Her black hair stood wild like a lion's. Her hand formed a fist around the top of a leather belt. _'This will teach you, listening to your traitor brother!'_ And like the little child he was, Regulus curled up. _'No mommy, please.'_ But begging didn't help, it never helped. The burning of the potion now joined with new pain, hit after hit. It didn't stop; he couldn't make it stop. It wasn't like a potion he could stop drinking when he wanted. The potion.

He had to keep drinking, even when his mother kept hitting him, even when his tongue dried out and thirst clawed at his mouth. He needed to keep drinking.

Another gulp. _But why?_ Why was he doing it again? It only brought more pain, more than he could handle. The potion, it was evil, he needed to get away from it. As far away as possible.

The lake! Water clenched thirst; water healed. There he would be safe from the potion. From its the drought and pain and nightmares. The wooden bowl dropped from his trembling fingers and lay forgotten on the rocks. Potion spilt from it and refilled in the basin. With his knees scraping on the hard surface Regulus clawed to the edge, to the lake.

"REGULUS!"

 _Barty?_

"Regu- Reg!"

Another hit from the belt on his shoulder and Regulus jerked in pain.

"I. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you."

Barty? _You're not hurting me, mom is._ And Regulus turned to watch the leather come down on him again, but all he could see was a hand floating above his shoulder. Its lean fingers so familiar. It wasn't his mom's hand, no, her hands were small and plump.

"B- arty?" The name barely went over his lips. So dry. Maybe Barty would bring him to the water. "Water."

"Reg! There are monsters in there. I'm not taking you to the monster in the water."

Hands still hovered like flies above his head and did nothing to help him. "Water." Water would help.

"Aguamenti."

"Aguamenti."

"Aguamenti!"

"AGUAMENTI!"

It sounded like an oasis in the desert, but it was only a mirage and water never came.

"It doesn't work Reg." The words were spoken fast and hard to follow. "I don't kno- Maybe... I'm gonna try something."

Fingers curled around his own. They were filled with a thousand tiny needles that sunk in his skin. But just as it came, the pain ebbed away. And the more it disappeared, the clearer his mind felt and the louder someone beside him screamed.

Slowly, Regulus pulled himself on his feet. His body was shaking, still reeling from the experience, but the hurting was over.

At least for him.

His eyes fell on Barty, curled up beside him. He roared in agony. Knees pressed against his chest, hands covering his face, nails digging in his own flesh. Reg fell on the ground beside him.

Barty took his pain for him.

"Water." A long pause followed. "Please." It sounded so soft, so not Barty that tears boiled up in Regulus' eyes. His best friend. His best friend was suffering because of him. His soulmate—could it be true—was suffering because of him.

Regulus lay his hands on Barty's. How he didn't know, but the moment they touched he felt the pain draining from Barty to himself. Again his lips dried out and hands began shaking more violently. The urge to pull his hands back, to break the contact was big—almost too big—, but Regulus held his hands firmly on Barty's.

"Reg?" Only when he heard the response Regulus let go of Barty.

Regulus could now feel the potion again burning inside of him, but Barty and he shared the pain equally. It made it bearable.

Barty clamped onto Regulus—fingers digging in his flesh which hurt, but still Regulus returned the hold. "Reg," the other grunted, "what are you doing here."

"He hid a piece of his soul in here. In the potion." Regulus didn't need to explain who 'he' was.

An eyebrow quirked up. "The potion that is causing all this pain and you decide to drink it."

"Barty. You know I can't let him do this. It's been enough dead and suffering."

"I know." Regulus could feel the sadness behind the words. He knew Barty too was sick of being a Death Eater, but he also knew the other didn't support him being willing to give his life to end their Lord.

Trying to get the emotion from Barty's voice he spoke: "And luckily I have you to take some of the pain away."

At that, a smirk appeared between the creases on Barty's face. "We're really soulmates?"

He sounded so hopeful, so like a child getting candy that Regulus could not help but smile back. "I never thought I'd find them—I'd find you—and I'd never thought it'd be like this, but I'm so happy." It seemed weird, being happy in this dreadful cave.

The smile taking over Barty's face confirmed the feeling was reciprocated, but Regulus's own grin started to falter. "I need to drink the potion."

"Okay."

With shaky legs and hands, Regulus pushed himself up. To fast for his body; his legs gave way and he landed on the hard rock beneath him. His arms and knees taking most of the hit. The clothes there thorn and skin raw and red. A few purple spots already started to form.

"Reg! You alright?"

He took a moment to catch his breath before answering: "Yes."

Not wanting to repeat the fall, Regulus stood up much slower this time. First one leg, then the other, crouching for a bit before finally getting up fully. He stood still until the dizziness cleared and moved to help Barty on his feet.

Reg took the fallen bowl in his hands and wiped the dirt off it. A lump formed in his throat as he stood before the stone basin and saw it was still half full. Just as he'd never believed he'd find his soulmate, he'd never believed this would be so hard—guess he was wrong on both. A deep breath entered his lungs and calmed him down a bit; he could do this. As he dipped the clean bowl into the potion two hands rested on his bare arm. His oversensitive skin wasn't happy with that and his teeth clenched in response. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm helping you." At Reg's nonunderstanding look Barty elaborated: "I'm taking the pain for you."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I've been hoping we'd be soulmates for as long as I've known you." He realised that sounded a bit stalker-ish and looked down. "What I mean is… I was always afraid to tell, but I guess I have to now with all the paintaking and such…" He laughed nervously. "… Iloveyou.."

Regulus felt his mouth hanging wide open, but couldn't find the energy to care. "You- you love. Me?"

"Don't act all surprised. I'm sure you thought it impossible, but you're not unlovable."  
 _  
Wow._ He'd come to the cave thinking he would die—he could still die, but that didn't matter at the moment—and now Barty had said the three words Regulus had never thought he'd hear. _I love you._ They made his inside turn even more wildly than the potion had.

"Just say you love me too and then we can continue with this—" Barty pointed his hands at the with potion filled basin. "Stupidity."

The words may have been confident, but Regulus knew the other long enough to hear the uncertainty he was hiding. Regulus could see it in the way Barty's eyes widened a bit—looking more like those of a lost puppy—, the higher pitch he used and the fast manner in which he spoke. It was adorable—in kind of a sad way.

Regulus didn't answer. He didn't say the words. Instead, he responded in the only way he could. He rocketed towards Barty. Too fast, for his pain-ridden body couldn't take the strain on its muscles and Barty had to catch him mid-fall. A blush crept up his cheeks—this was so not the smooth move he'd been going for—before he straightened himself and put his arms around Barty.

The other smiled at him and lowered his head, only a few centimetres away from him. "I never had someone fall in my arms like that."

"Better get used to it," Regulus answered and pressed his lips against Barty's. They lost themselves in each other. Their happy bubble shielding them from the musty cave, the monsters in the water and the fluorescent potion they would have to drink.

In the end, they had to break their hold to get some air.

Regulus moved away from Barty, head hanging low. "I have to do this."

"I know. I have to do it too."

Together they stood before the basin. The green light it emitted the exact same shade as their school robes had been for the past years. Regulus dipped the wooden bowl in the potion and brought it to his mouth. He dreaded the pain that would follow, but the Horcrux needed to be destroyed and no one else was going to do it. As the liquid entered through his mouth, his stomach squeezed together into a tight knot.

Barty quickly grabbed his hand—untightening the knot a bit. A soft, half-suppressed grunt left his lips and made Regulus look at him in worry.

"Con- tinue."

Another bowl of potion. His insides crimped and grew at the same time and he could feel the looming presence of his mother behind him. Ready to hit, to hurt, to punish.

The potion kept coming and there it was again, the dryness. His tongue felt like sandpaper and scraped over the sensitive flesh of his mouth. The impulse to go to the lake was also back, but weaker and less urgent so he could suppress it.

Again and again. More and more of the potion disappeared. It hurt, it burned, it dried out, but still he was standing. Not alone, but with Barty beside him. As his grip on the others hand tightened, the bottom of the basin became visible and Regulus almost jumped in joy. Only a few drinks left and then it was over.

"Almost there," Barty said breathless, his voice almost a whisper, "You alright?"

Regulus couldn't form the words, let alone get them over his lips, so he nodded in reply. It would all work out. They would drink the rest of the potion, take the Horcrux and get the hell out of this cave. After that? He didn't know, but there would be time to figure that out later.

His trembling fingers clutched onto the bowl to keep it as steady as possible, but when Regulus filled it again he shook so badly the liquid spilt all over the basin and the rocky ground. _Shit._ A second later and the bowl, too, fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Splinters littered the floor like fallen toothpicks. Regulus stared at the broken wood and fell his own knees weaken and buckle from under him.

"Reg!" Barty yelled as he tried to hold him up, almost falling on top of Regulus, but instead dropping hard on his knees. "AH."

Regulus stayed down, listening to Barty's cries, while he waited for his vision to go back to normal. It took a while, but eventually, the black spots disappeared and he could see Barty hanging over him. _I must be looking in a mirror._ The thought struck him because Barty looked as bad as he felt. Skin white as a sheet, his freckles standing out against it. The panicked light in his eyes was accompanied with exhaustion and pain—and was it fear Regulus saw there?

Barty helped Regulus upright. So close to him, Regulus could hear his ragged breathing and even his grinding teeth as he fought against the potion's effects.

Back on his feet, Regulus took out his wand to repair the bowl. _Broken._ The top half of his wand dangled from the handle, rendering it nothing more than a useless stick. That was just his luck.

His friend got sight of the broken wood and got his own wand out. "Reparo." He picked up the repaired bowl and moved back to the basin. But, before he got there he lay his hand on Regulus' shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said, nodding his head at the broken wand.

The words didn't heal the wound from losing the tool that had become so much more—almost a trusted friend—, but they did bring Regulus out of his thought and back into the real world. Where he still had other problems to solve.

Regulus stood beside Barty before the potion and filled the bowl once more, almost for the last time. And then, when he thought it would never be over, he was drinking the last of the potion. The pain and thirst filling his body before turning into a numbness as Barty took part off it for him.

His eyes fell on the necklace, a locket to be precise.

"Is this it?"

Regulus nodded, not daring to speak, being mesmerized by the jewellery. It was a golden locket, scarce with decorations, the only one being a green S that filled almost the entire front. It looked a bit like a snake. The stones that made up the S reflected the same emerald glow the potion had. Some curls surrounded the letter and filled the little bit of empty space.

He took the locket in his hand. It was beautiful. At least, that was what he first thought. A second look at the necklace and he felt something radiating off it. Dark rays that prodded at his mind, bringing not so pleasant memories to the surface.

"We have to destroy it." Regulus had barely said the words or he thought he felt the locked squirm in his hand. It was not happy, but how could it be when it was not alive. He thought back to what he had read about Horcruxes. A piece of soul in an object. Regulus looked at the locket in his hand. It had a soul, so maybe it also had a mind of its own.

"Let's get out of here," Barty said, once again rooting Reg to the real world.

"Yes… Let's go," he said a bit hesitant. The locked-t went around his neck and disappeared under his clothes. For a moment Regulus thought he felt it thumping, like it had a very small, very dark heart.

He took Barty's hand in his and lead him to the boat. Once it took off they slumped against the wooden planks. The place was small, but when they tucked their legs underneath them, they fitted perfectly—though not comfortably. They must have looked horrible. Two shaking boys. Knees and elbows raw and bloodied. Eyes tired with dark rings beginning to form around them. Luckily there was no one but them to watch.

It was Barty who finally disrupted the silence. "What are we going to do after this?"

"We destroy the Horcrux."

"The what?"

Regulus fished the locket from under his T-shirt. "The locket."

"Ow."

And again it was silent. Barty opened his mouth a few times, but no words came out. After a few minutes, he'd finally found what he wanted to say. "I mean. What are we going to do after that? After destroying the—" He searched his mind, trying to remember the word. "—Horcrux."

Regulus stared at his friend for a what seemed like an eternity. "I." What was he supposed to say? "I don't know."

"It's just…" Was it Regulus or was Barty super cute when he didn't know how to say something. "Ugh. I'm just gonna say it so please don't laugh or something. Okay?"

"Totally okay."

Barty sent him a glare at that before saying: "We're soulmates." He glared at Reg again as he snorted. "You said you wouldn't!"

"I'm sorry. But you sounded so serious."

"I'm not your brother, Reg—"

 _Oh no, not that joke again._

"—, but I am serious. So just listen. I just want to know. What about us? I mean, if we don't get killed or tortured into oblivion or something. Will we be—you know."

 _Wow._ "Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?"

"No." Regulus glared at him. "I mean yes. Okay Reg, I'm asking you to be my boyfriend. Please don't say no."

"Why would I say no?"

"Because you're you and I'm me and we'll probably fuck it up somewhere on the road and you might not want to take your chance and—"

"Barty. Shut up, you idiot. Of course I want to. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. You're the most amazing person I know. I just never dreamed—I never hoped. I just thought it wouldn't be possible."

"Guess that makes us both idiots." Excitement radiated of off Barty as his smile grew wide and his eyes became bright. He pushed himself upright—making the boat swing dangerously—, bent over and kissed Regulus.

They broke up when the boat hit the shore, sending a tremor through the boat.

"Woah," Barty screamed as he lost his footing, toppling over the edge, into the water—the with Inferi infested water.

Regulus looked over the edge and saw an Inferius grabbing Barty by the ankle, trying to pull him further into the lake. His friend was clawing onto the rocks, kicking at his attacker, but lost the fight centimetre by centimetre.

Regulus jumped on the rocky ground, his hand going to his wand. Then he remembered it was broken and he had nothing to defend or safe Barty with. Shit. No way to help otherwise, he grabbed Barty's hands and battled to pull him to safety. First, he seemed to be gaining ground on the Inferius, but the longer it took, the more creatures grabbed Barty. They slowly surrounded them and pulled Barty further underwater.

This was not going to work and Regulus had to look for another way. But the only things he saw were rocks, more rocks and a couple of sticks. His gaze lingered on one of the sticks. It was straight—too straight for a stick—and seemed to give off a light glow. Barty's wand. Still in one piece.

"I'm gonna have to let you go."

"Wh—" bubbles filled the space as Barty was pulled under water.

Reg pulled as hard as he could. First nothing happened and then, finally, Barty resurfaced. Gagging out water.

He waited a few moments to give Barty time to catch his breath. "Trust me. Take a deep breath." He waited until Barty had done what he'd asked. "And hold it." Letting go of Barty Regulus raced to get the wand.

Firmly grabbing it in his hand, he pointed it at the Inferi and at the top of his lungs he shouted the first spell that came to mind. The one he'd been practising as soon as Kreacher had told him about the cave. And as the words left his lips, fire spewed from the tip of the wand. Not as fluid or big as with his own, but a decent amount of flames that made Regulus feel like a dragon. A real fire-breathing dragon.

The creatures shrank in fear, let go of Barty and swam out of reach.

But Barty wasn't coming up.

Regulus sprinted to him—the spell braking in his haste—, pulled him on the shore and turned him on his back so he could breathe. It seemed like an eternity before Barty gasped and opened his eyes.

"Don't you dare die."

The Inferi clearly thought the opposite and now the fire was out, they went closer and closer. Fingers reaching out to pull the two under water.

A hand took hold of Regulus' foot. Panicking, the boy trashed his feet around until the creature let go. Only then did he see how near the Inferi were. Their hollow eyes staring at him, waiting for the moment to attack.

"Incendio." He aimed at one coming too close to Barty for his liking. As the thing's hand flew on fire, it let go with a scream and hurried away.

"Barty! Stop lying around! You're breathing. That's all you need to do. Get up!"

He cast the stronger spell from before and a wall of flames surrounded him and Barty. Protecting them from the greedy hands of the undead. The wand accepted Regulus but didn't seem to like him too much and the flames started to lessen in power.

"Barty!" The other was getting up, but not fast enough if they wanted to live after this experience.

When the fire only came as high as his ankles anymore, Barty had finally recuperated enough to stand. "I'm up Reg. We need to get out of here."

 _I know,_ he wanted to say, but they didn't have time for that, so instead he ordered: "Take your wand. It doesn't listen properly to me. Use fire spells. They're afraid of the warmth and light."

Regulus cast a glance at Barty before walking to the exit. "And keep away from the water."

"I'm not stupid Reg."

"And that's probably why you were taking a swim in there?" He didn't care that Barty was probably pouting because of those words. All he wanted was to get out of here and… Well, he didn't know what then, but it would certainly be better than Inferi wanting to drag them to an underwater grave.

The path they walked became littered with scorch-marks, flames and a few truly dead corpses. But only when the light of the sun shone through the opening to the outside world, the Inferi stopped their assault.

When they could hear the waves breaking on the rocks and smell the salty ocean water, Barty put his wand away and walked beside Regulus for the last few meters. Somewhere on the walk, their fingers intertwined.

Finally outside they crumbled down together. Backs resting against a giant rock and sides pressed together. Bits of skin touching through their torn clothes.

"What now?" Barty said, still sounding out of breath.

"We're getting out of here. And then… I don't know, but we'll be doing it together."

Barty took Reg's hands in his, smiled softly and then the nauseating feeling of apparating filled Regulus to the bone.

The world wouldn't be kind to them, but they would make their own future possible. He was going to make sure of it.


End file.
